Methods for polishing inorganic substrates

ABSTRACT

A composition for protecting a surface of an inorganic substrate, such as concrete, terrazzo, or ceramic tile, includes a silicate (i.e., an alkali metal polysilicate or a colloidal silica), a siliconate (e.g., a metal siliconate, such as an alkali metal methyl siliconate, etc.), acrylic latex, a silane coupling agent, and a solvent, such as ethylene glycol monobutyl ether. Inorganic substrates, such as concrete, stone, and ceramic materials, with such a composition on their surfaces are also disclosed, as are methods for polishing and protecting inorganic substrates.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.13/016,756, filed on Jan. 28, 2011, and titled “PROTECTIVE COATINGS FORINORGANIC SUBSTRATES AND ASSOCIATED METHODS” (hereinafter “the '756Application”), which claims the benefit of priority under 35 U.S.C.§119(e) to U.S. Provisional Patent Application 61/299,882, filed on Jan.29, 2010, and titled “PROTECTIVE COATINGS FOR INORGANIC SUBSTRATES ANDASSOCIATED METHODS” (hereinafter “the '882 Application”). The entiredisclosures of both the '882 Application and the '756 Application are,by this reference, hereby incorporated herein.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention, in various embodiments, relates generally tocompositions and methods for protecting and polishing substrates and,more specifically, to compositions that include a silicate, such as analkali metal polysilicate (e.g., lithium polysilicate, etc.) or acolloidal silica. In particular, the present invention relates tocompositions that include a silicate and one or more siliconates, ororganosiliconates, as well as to the application of such compositions tovarious inorganic substrates. In a specific embodiment, the presentinvention relates to a composition that includes lithium polysilicateand a siliconate, such as a metal siliconate or, even more specifically,an alkali metal siliconate. Such a composition may, in some embodiments,be applied to inorganic substrates, such as concrete, stone, and ceramicsubstrates.

RELATED ART Use of Alkali Metal Silicates on Inorganic Substrates

Alkali metal silicates, such as potassium polysilicate and sodiumpolysilicate, have long been used to protect, harden, and polishinorganic substrates, such as cement. When applied to an inorganicsubstrate, alkali metal silicates react with free lime (calcium oxide,calcium hydroxide) in the inorganic substrate to prevent the surface ofthe inorganic substrate from becoming porous, or to reduce porosity atthe surface of the inorganic substrate.

Over recent years, lithium polysilicates, which are also known in theart as “lithium silicates,” have found widespread use in a variety ofcompositions that are formulated for application to inorganicsubstrates, such as concrete, masonry, and stone. Compositions thatinclude lithium silicates may be formulated for a variety of purposes,including to protect, densify or harden, and/or polish the inorganicsubstrates to which they are applied.

The ever-increasing use of lithium silicate in connection with inorganicsubstrates has been due, in part, to its superior performance inpenetrating and reacting with inorganic substrates when compared withother alkaline metal polysilicates, such as potassium polysilicates andsodium polysilicates. Among other things, lithium silicate is lessalkaline (i.e., has a lower pH) than other alkaline metal silicates,which protects the substrate from undesirable reactions and improves thestability of the substrate. It has also been found that lithium silicatepenetrates more quickly and further into inorganic substrates than otheralkali metal silicates (possibly due to its smaller size than otheralkaline metal polysilicates), further enhancing the ability of lithiumsilicate to protect the inorganic substrates to which it is appliedagainst staining and deterioration (such as that caused by wear,dusting, sweating, efflorescence, scaling, surface alkali silicareaction (ASR), damaging alkalis, etc.).

While alkali metal silicates protect the surfaces of inorganicsubstrates by hardening and densifying the surfaces to which they areapplied, they are typically not used to seal the surfaces of thesubstrates to which they are applied. Instead, thicker polymericcoatings are used for that purpose. While polymeric coatings oninorganic flooring surfaces provide protection for extended periods oftime and may initially increase glossiness, they are scuffed andscratched over time, particularly in high traffic areas.

Alternatively, or in addition to a polymeric coating, inorganic floorsurfaces may be protected by use of a wax, particularly when a highgloss finish is desired. When wax is applied to an inorganic floorsurface, it is typically applied in several (e.g., three to seven)relatively thick coats. But, like any other protective coating, whensubjected to traffic, the protective coating that has been formed by thewax is scratched and scuffed.

As the number of scratches and scuffs in any protective coatingincreases, the gloss of the protective coating decreases. In order tomaintain the desired level of glossiness, the protective coating must beperiodically burnished, which consumes significant amounts of time. Whena wax is used to protect the inorganic flooring surface, periodicburnishing requires the use of organic solvents, such as butoxy ethanol,which are often harmful to the environment, as well as to the personswho use such solvents. In some settings, wax coatings are burnished on adaily basis, requiring significant time and resources (e.g., burnishingpads, butoxy ethanol, etc.).

In addition to the undesired maintenance that wax and other protectivecoatings require, they must also be stripped and replaced periodically.In high traffic settings, such as stores, schools, and hospitals, waxprotective coatings on floors are often stripped and replaced every sixto eight weeks. Due to their thicknesses, wax protective coatings mustbe stripped to prevent undesired buildup of the wax. Stripping requiresthe use of hazardous organic solvents, such as butoxy ethanol, andconsumes a great deal of time, as the old wax must be collected anddiscarded. Frequent reapplication of wax protective coatings alsoconsumes valuable time and resources (e.g., wax, burnishing pads, etc.).

SUMMARY

The present invention includes compositions for protecting inorganicsubstrates, such as concrete, terrazzo, and ceramic tile floors. Inaddition, the present invention includes methods for protecting exposedsurfaces of inorganic substrates.

As used herein, the term “protect,” when used in reference to aninorganic substrate, includes, but is not limited to, hardening,densifying, and at least partially sealing the inorganic substrate.Additionally, “protection” of an inorganic substrate may includepolishing a surface of the inorganic substrate.

Various embodiments of compositions that incorporate teachings of thepresent invention include water, a silicate, such as an alkali metalpolysilicate (e.g., lithium polysilicate, potassium polysilicate, sodiumpolysilicate, etc.) or a colloidal silica, and a siliconate, such as ametal siliconate or, in some more specific embodiments, an alkali metalsiliconate (e.g., sodium methyl siliconate, potassium methyl siliconate,etc.), along with acrylic latex, a silane coupling agent (e.g., anepoxysilane, such as N-(β (aminoethyl)-r-aminopropyl-trimethoxysilane,etc.), a solvent (e.g., a glycol solvent, such as ethylene glycolmonobutyl ether, etc.), and an optional leveling agent. The levelingagent may comprise a surfactant (e.g., a fluorosurfactant, etc.) or anorganic leveling agent (e.g., a silicone leveling agent, etc.). Thecomponents of a composition that incorporates teachings of the presentinvention are, in some embodiments, dispersed throughout thecomposition. In some embodiments, one or more of the components may bepresent in solution.

In another aspect, the present invention includes embodiments of methodsfor blending compositions that are useful for protecting inorganicsubstrates. One specific embodiment of such a method includes blending asurfactant and/or leveling agent into water, adding a solvent and/orsilane coupling agent to the mixture, then adding a silane, a silicate,a siliconate, and acrylic latex. Another embodiment of a method forcompounding a composition of the present invention includes mixing waterand a solvent, optionally adding a surfactant to that mixture, thenadding a silane coupling agent, a silicate, a siliconate, then acryliclatex.

The present invention also includes various embodiments of methods forprotecting inorganic substrates. In such embodiments, an embodiment of acomposition according to the present invention is applied to theinorganic substrate. A composition of the present invention may besprayed onto a surface of the inorganic substrate and/or spread onto thesurface of the inorganic substrate (e.g., with a microfiber mop, etc.).The surface of the inorganic substrate, with the composition thereon,may then be burnished in a manner known in the art (e.g., with adiamond-impregnated pad, etc.).

In a specific embodiment, an embodiment of a composition of the presentinvention is applied to a surface of an inorganic substrate, such as thesurface of a concrete, terrazzo, or ceramic tile floor. The compositionmay be sprayed and spread onto the surface of the inorganic substrate.The surface of the inorganic substrate may then be burnished. Theapplication and burnishing processes may be repeated at least once. Sucha process may protect the surface of the inorganic substrate, as well asprovide it with a polished finish.

Other aspects of the present invention, as well as features andadvantages of various aspects of the present invention, will becomeapparent to those of ordinary skill in the art through consideration ofthe ensuing description and the appended claims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present invention includes compositions for protecting the surfacesof inorganic substrates. In some embodiments, compositions of thepresent invention may also impart inorganic substrate surfaces with apolished finish. One embodiment of such a composition includes water, asilicate, acrylic latex, an alkaline metal methyl siliconate, a silanecoupling agent, and a solvent.

The following table lists of various components that may be included invarious embodiments of a composition according to the present invention,as well as possible amounts of each component such a composition:

Percent Percent (weight/weight) (weight/weight) Component Range(Specific Embodiment) Water Balance 68.95 Solvent (e.g., Ethylene0.25-1   0.5 (Ethylene Glycol Glycol Monobutyl Ether, Monobutyl Ether)Dipropylene Glycol Dimethyl Ether, Dipropylene Glycol n-Butyl Ether,etc.) Leveling Agent (e.g., Fluoro 0.05-1   0.05 (Silicone Surfactant,Silicone Leveling Leveling Agent, Trialkyl Agent) Phosphate, etc.)Silane Coupling Agent (e.g., 0.5-2.5 2.0 N-β (aminoethyl)-r-aminopropyl-trimethoxysilane, etc.) Silicate (e.g., Lithium 10-25 16.0 Polysilicate,etc.) Alkali Metal Methyl  1-7.5 2.5 Siliconate (e.g., Potassium MethylSiliconate, etc.) Acrylic Latex  4-25 10.0

All weight percentages in the preceding table and elsewhere throughoutthis disclosure account for the total weight of each component,including water.

While other components may be included some embodiments of a compositionthat incorporates teachings of the present invention, other embodimentsconsist essentially of water, a silicate, acrylic latex, a siliconate, asilane coupling agent, and a solvent, with the surfactant being anon-essential component. In other embodiments, a composition of thepresent invention consists of water, a silicate, acrylic latex, asiliconate, a silane coupling agent, and a solvent, while a surfactant,such as a fluorosurfactant, may be required in still other embodimentsof a composition of the present invention.

In various embodiments, the solvent of a composition of the presentinvention may be a glycol solvent, such as ethylene glycol monobutylether. Ethylene glycol monobutyl ether is also known as“2-butoxyethanol” and as “Glycol Ether EB.” It has the molecularchemical formula C₆H₁₄O₂ and the chemical structureCH₃CH₂CH₂CH₂OCH₂CH₂OH. Ethylene glycol monobutyl ether is a solvent fora variety of resins, including, without limitation, acrylic resins. As asolvent, ethylene glycol monobutyl ether enhances wettability of acomposition of the present invention. Ethylene glycol monobutyl ether isavailable from a variety of sources, including the Dow Chemical Companyof Midland, Mich., Eastman Chemical Company of Kingsport, Tenn., andLyondell Chemical Company of Houston, Tex.

Other examples of solvents that may be used in various embodiments ofcompositions according to the present invention include, but are notlimited to, dipropylene glycol dimethyl ether and dipropylene glycoln-butyl ether. Dipropylene glycol dimethyl ether has the chemicalformula CH₃OCH₂CH(CH₃)OCH₂CH(CH₃)OCH₃ (major isomer). The Dow ChemicalCompany sells dipropylene glycol dimethyl ether under the trademarkPROGLYDE™ DMM. The chemical formula of dipropylene glycol n-butyl etheris C₄H₉O[CH₂CH(CH₃)O]₂H (major isomer). Dipropylene glycol n-butyl etheris available from The Dow Chemical Company under the trademark DOWANOL®DPnB.

A silane coupling agent of a composition of the present invention mayhave at least two reactive groups of different types bonded to a siliconatom in the molecule. One of the reactive groups (e.g., a methoxy group(—OCH₃), an ethoxy group (—OCH₂CH₃), a silanic hydroxyl group (—SiOH),etc.) is reactive with an inorganic material, while another of thereactive groups (e.g., a vinyl group (—CH=CH₂), an epoxide (in which anoxygen atom is covalently bonded to two adjacent, covalently bondedcarbon atoms, forming a three-member ring), a methacryl group(CH₂=C(CH₃)C(O)—), an amino group (—NH₂), a thiol or mercapto group(—SH), etc.) is reactive with an organic material. These two reactivegroups of the silane coupling agent bind inorganic components (e.g., thesilicate, etc.) and organic components (e.g., the siliconate, etc.) of acomposition of the present invention to each other. It is also believedthat the two reactive groups of the silane coupling agent enhanceadhesion of a composition of the present invention to an inorganicsubstrate. In addition to its binding and potential adhesive properties,the silane coupling agent may serve as a sealant and/or as a waterrepellant.

In a specific embodiment, the silane coupling agent of a composition ofthe present invention may comprise or consist of an aminoethylaminopropyl trimethoxy silane (C₈H₂₂N₂O₃Si), which is known by thechemical names N-β (aminoethyl)-r-aminopropyl-trimethoxysilane,[3-(2-Aminoethyl)aminopropyl] trimethoxysilane, andN[3-(Trimethoxysilyl)propyl]ethylenediamine. Such a material isavailable from Dow Corning Corporation of Midland, Mich., as Z-6020, aswell as from a variety of other sources.

The silicate of various embodiments of a composition of the presentinvention comprises an alkali metal silicate, such as lithiumpolysilicate. In alternative embodiments, the silicate may include analkali metal polysilicate, such as potassium polysilicate and/or sodiumpolysilicate, and/or a colloidal silica in place of or in addition tothe lithium polysilicate. Silicates are available from a variety ofsources. For example, Grace Davison, a subsidiary of the GracePerformance Chemicals division of W. R. Grace & Co. of Columbia, Md.,sells lithium polysilicate under the trade name LUDOX®. Varioussilicates are also manufactured by PQ Corporation of Malvern, Pa.

Silicates, which are inorganic materials, may impart a cured orsolidified form of a composition of the present invention (e.g., acoating, etc.) with a desired hardness, which may further preventabrasion or impact damage to the inorganic substrate. Silicates may alsochemically react with components of some inorganic substrates to furtherenhance the hardness that the silicates otherwise provide. As anexample, silicates may chemically react with various materials ofinorganic substrates, such as the free lime within concrete.

In addition to imparting a composition of the present invention withhardness, a silicate may provide some water repellency, as well asminimize or eliminate corrosion of an inorganic substrate to which thecomposition is applied (e.g., on which a coating that comprises a curedor solid form of the composition is formed, etc.).

Further water repellency may be provided by the siliconate of acomposition of the present invention. In some embodiments, thesiliconate may comprise a metal siliconate, such as an alkali metalsiliconate (e.g., potassium methyl siliconate and/or sodium metalsiliconate, etc.) all of which are manufactured by Dow Corning. In aspecific embodiment, the siliconate of a composition of the presentinvention consists of the potassium methyl siliconate available from DowCorning as XIAMETER® 0777. In such embodiments, the composition laysout, or spreads, well. Thus, there may be no need for a leveling agent(e.g., a fluorosurfactant, etc.) in such embodiments.

Acrylic latex is an emulsion of an acrylic polymer in water. In acomposition of the present invention, acrylic latex may facilitateadhesion of the composition to an inorganic substrate. In a specificembodiment, the acrylic latex may have a solids content of about 47% toabout 49%, such as the PLIOTEC® PA90 acrylic latex available fromEliokem of Villejust, France. Another example of a latex that may beused in various embodiments of compositions according to the presentinvention is AVANSE™ MV-100 from The Dow Chemical Company.

In embodiments of compositions that include surfactants, nonionicfluorinated surfactants, or “fluorosurfactants,” may be used.Fluorosurfactants are more effective than ionic (hydrocarbon)surfactants at reducing the surface tension of water and, thus, thesurface tension of a composition in which they are included. The reducedsurface tension of a composition that includes one or morefluorosurfactants may facilitate wetting of a substrate surface with thecomposition, as well as spreading and leveling of the composition on thesurface of the substrate. The inclusion of a fluorosurfactant in acomposition of the present invention may also enable a composition ofthe present invention to penetrate smaller voids in a substrate than maybe penetrated by embodiments of compositions that lack fluorosurfactants(i.e., that include other types of surfactants or that lacksurfactants). A specific embodiment of a composition of the presentinvention includes the fluorosurfactant marketed as MASURF® FS-120A byMason Chemical Company of Arlington Heights, Ill. In another specificembodiment, a composition of the present invention may include afluorosurfactant comprises a short chain molecule (e.g., four carbonatoms, etc.), such as the perfluorobutanesulfonic acid-basedfluorosurfactants marketed by 3M of St. Paul, Minn., under the tradename NOVEC™.

As an alternative to a surfactant, or in addition thereto, a compositionaccording to the present invention may include a leveling agent of atype known in the art. Like surfactants, leveling agents enable acomposition of the present invention to wet and smoothly coat asubstrate and, in the case of substrates that are formed from porousmaterials, to penetrate the substrate. One example of a leveling agentis the silicon leveling agent available from Dow Corning under the tradename DOW CORNING® 2-9034 Emulsion. Another example of a leveling agentis trialkyl phosphate, such as the tris(2-butoxyethyl) phosphate havingthe chemical formula C₁₈H₃₉O₇P available from Chemtura Corporation ofPhiladelphia, Pa., as KRONITEX® KP-140 (“KP-140”).

In addition to acting as a leveling agent, KP-140 may reduce oreliminate foaming as a composition that incorporates teachings of thepresent invention is compounded and/or used. When relatively smallamounts (e.g., less than about 0.3% w/w, about 0.2% w/w, about 0.1% w/w,etc.) of KP-140 are used in a composition of the present invention, thecomposition may harden more quickly than, and may reduce soiling betterthan, compositions that include relatively large amounts (e.g., about0.3% w/w, more than about 0.3% w/w, etc.) of KP-140.

The following EXAMPLES identify components of some additional specificembodiments of compositions that incorporate teachings of the presentinvention.

EXAMPLE 1

Component Percent (weight/weight) Water 39.99 Dipropylene Glycol n-ButylEther 1.00 (e.g., DOWANOL ® DPnB from The Dow Chemical Company) Silane(e.g., DOW CORNING Z-6020 ® 3.81 from Dow Corning Corporation) Lithiumpolysilicate 30.20 Potassium Methyl Siliconate 5.00 Latex (e.g.,AVANSE ™ MV-100 from 20.00 The Dow Chemical Company)

The composition of EXAMPLE 1 may be applied directly to an inorganicsubstrate, or it may comprise a concentrate, which may be diluted withwater before application to an inorganic substrate. In a specificembodiment where the composition of EXAMPLE 1 comprises a concentrate,it may be diluted with water at a ratio of 1:1, by weight or volume,before application to an inorganic substrate. The resulting dilutedcomposition hardens quickly (more quickly than the composition ofEXAMPLE 3), but it takes about twenty-four (24) hours to aboutthirty-six (36) hours from application and drying on the surface of aninorganic substrate before the resulting film and, thus, the surface ofthe substrate resists standing water.

EXAMPLE 2

Component Percent (weight/weight) Water 53.364 Trialkyl Phosphate (e.g.,KRONITEX ® 0.3 KP-140 from Chemtura Corporation) Dipropylene Glycoln-Butyl Ether 0.7 (e.g., DOWANOL ® DPnB from The Dow Chemical Company)Silane (e.g., DOW CORNING Z-6020 ® 1.916 from Dow Corning Corporation)Lithium polysilicate 16.32 Potassium Methyl Siliconate 2.4 Latex (e.g.,AVANSE ™ MV-100 from 25.0 The Dow Chemical Company)

When the composition of EXAMPLE 2 is applied to an inorganic substrate,it may resist standing water within about thirty (30) minutes after ithas dried. The composition of EXAMPLE 2 flows and levels on the surfacesof inorganic substrates better than the composition of EXAMPLE 1, withless streaking than the composition of EXAMPLE 1, making the compositionof EXAMPLE 2 easier to apply than the composition of EXAMPLE 1. Itremains relatively soft for about four (4) or five (5) days, however.

In another aspect, the present invention includes embodiments of methodsfor blending compositions that are useful for protecting inorganicsubstrates. One specific embodiment of such a method includes mixingwater and a solvent, optionally adding a leveling agent to that mixture,then adding a silane coupling agent, a silicate, a siliconate, thenacrylic latex. In an even more specific embodiment, the surfactantand/or leveling agent may be “sweated” into the water. Sweating mayinclude mixing using high shear agitation, in a manner known in the art.Sweating may be effected for a sufficient period of time for thesurfactant and/or leveling agent to be completely dissolved and/orhomogeneously dispersed throughout the water. In some embodiments, thesurfactant and/or leveling agent may be sweated into the water for aperiod of about thirty (30) minutes. In embodiments where a solvent isused, the solvent may also be sweated into the water and any previouslyincluded component (e.g., a surfactant, a leveling agent, etc.). As withsweating a surfactant and/or a leveling agent into water, the process ofsweating a solvent into water or an aqueous solution or suspension mayinclude mixing or agitation, and may be effected for a sufficientduration to enable the solvent to completely dissolve and/or behomogeneously dispersed throughout the water.

In addition, the present invention includes methods for protectinginorganic substrates. An embodiment of a composition according to thepresent invention may be applied to the surface of an inorganicsubstrate (e.g., by spraying, etc.) then spread (e.g., with a microfibermop, etc.). The composition may be applied in one coat or in a pluralityof coats.

In some embodiments, the surface of the inorganic substrate, with thecomposition thereon, may then be polished or burnished in a manner knownin the art (e.g., with a diamond-impregnated pad, etc.). In embodimentswhere more than one coat of the composition is to be applied to asubstrate, the surface to which the composition is applied (and thecomposition on that surface) may be polished or burnished after eachapplication.

In a specific embodiment, a composition of the present invention isapplied to a surface of an inorganic substrate (e.g., concrete,terrazzo, ceramic tile, etc.). The composition may be sprayed and/orspread onto the surface of the inorganic substrate. The surface of theinorganic substrate may then be burnished, particularly where theinorganic substrate comprises a floor. The application and/or burnishingprocesses may be repeated at least once. Such a process may protect thesurface of the inorganic substrate, as well as provide it with apolished finish.

When such a process is employed, each layer of the coating may have athickness of about 5 μm to about 6 μm or less, which may besignificantly thinner than a layer of wax. The glossiness of thecoating, which may be measured with a gloss meter of a type known in theart in terms of percentage of light reflected at an angle of 60° to asurface of the substrate, may be up to about 80% or more.

When applied to a floor that is subjected to moderate to heavy levels oftraffic, a coating of a composition of the present invention may have auseful life at least six months, and may last for as long as two yearsor more, as opposed to a useful life for wax of about six weeks withfrequent (e.g., daily, weekly, etc.) burnishing in high traffic areas.Due to its hardness, a coating of the present invention may retain itsshine and exhibit little or no wear over the life of the coating. Ifdesired, however, a coating of the present invention may be burnishedfrom time to time, without the requirement of environmentally unfriendlychemicals, such as the butoxy ethanol that is typically used when waxedflooring surfaces are burnished.

At the end of its useful life, a coating of the present invention neednot be stripped from the surface of an inorganic substrate, as isrequired when wax is used. Due to the thickness (or, rather, thinness)of the worn coating(s), another coating may simply be applied atop theworn coating(s). When such a technique is used, the new coating willhave substantially the same appearance (e.g., glossiness, etc.) as theoriginal coating. By eliminating the need to strip the worn coating, theuse of environmentally unfriendly chemicals is avoided, as is the mess(e.g., clumps of old wax, etc.) that is typically associated whenconventional protective coatings are stripped from substrates (e.g.,waxes from floors, etc.).

Although the foregoing description contains many specifics, these shouldnot be construed as limiting the scope of the present invention, butmerely as providing illustrations of some embodiments. Similarly, otherembodiments of the invention may be devised which do not exceed thescope of the present invention. Features from different embodiments maybe employed in combination. The scope of the invention is, therefore,indicated and limited only by the appended claims and their legalequivalents, rather than by the foregoing description. All additions,deletions and modifications to the invention as disclosed herein whichfall within the meaning and scope of the claims are to be embracedthereby.

1. A method for protecting an inorganic flooring surface, comprising:applying a composition including a silicate and a siliconate to aninorganic flooring surface; and with the composition on the surface,burnishing the inorganic flooring surface.
 2. The method of claim 1,wherein applying the composition comprises applying a compositionincluding a lithium polysilicate to the inorganic flooring surface. 3.The method of claim 1, wherein applying the composition comprisesapplying a composition including a colloidal silica to the inorganicflooring surface.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein applying thecomposition comprises applying a composition including a leveling agentto the inorganic flooring surface.
 5. The method of claim 4, whereinapplying the composition including the leveling agent includes allowinggravity to enable the composition to spread substantially evenly acrossthe flooring surface.
 6. The method of claim 1, wherein burnishing theinorganic flooring surface comprises polishing the inorganic flooringsurface.
 7. The method of claim 6, wherein polishing the inorganicflooring surface comprises polishing the inorganic flooring surface to aglossiness that reflects at least about 80% of incident light when theincident light is directed toward the composition at an angle of 60° tothe flooring surface.
 8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:repeating the acts of applying and burnishing at least once.
 9. Themethod of claim 1, wherein applying the composition comprises applying acomposition further including acrylic latex, a silane coupling agent,and a solvent to the inorganic flooring surface.
 10. The method of claim1, wherein applying the composition comprises applying a compositionfurther including a fluorosurfactant to the inorganic flooring surface.11. The method of claim 1, wherein applying comprises applying thecomposition to a flooring surface comprising concrete, terrazzo, or aceramic.
 12. A method for protecting an inorganic substrate, comprising:applying an aqueous composition including a silicate, a siliconate, anacrylic latex, a silane coupling agent, and a solvent to a surface of aninorganic substrate; and with the composition on the surface, burnishingthe surface.
 13. The method of claim 12, wherein burnishing the surfaceof the inorganic substrate comprises polishing the inorganic flooringsurface to a glossiness that reflects at least about 80% of incidentlight when the incident light is directed toward the composition at anangle of 60° to the surface.
 14. The method of claim 13, furthercomprising: repeating the applying and the burnishing at least once. 15.The method of claim 12, wherein applying comprises applying the aqueouscomposition to a surface of an inorganic substrate comprising concrete,terrazzo, or a ceramic.
 16. A method for protecting an inorganicsubstrate, comprising: applying a composition consisting essentially ofa silicate, a siliconate, an acrylic latex, a silane coupling agent, anda solvent to a surface of an inorganic substrate.
 17. The method ofclaim 16, wherein applying the composition comprises applying thecomposition to a surface of an inorganic substrate comprising concrete,terrazzo, or a ceramic.
 18. The method of claim 16, further comprising:burnishing the surface while the composition wets the surface.
 19. Themethod of claim 18, further comprising: repeating the applying and theburnishing at least once.
 20. The method of claim 18, wherein burnishingcomprises polishing the inorganic flooring surface to a glossiness thatreflects at least about 80% of incident light when the incident light isdirected toward the composition at an angle of 60° to the surface. 21.The method of claim 16, wherein applying the composition comprisesapplying a composition in which the silicate includes a lithiumpolysilicate or a colloidal silica.
 22. The method of claim 16, whereinapplying the composition comprises applying a composition thatnon-essentially includes a leveling agent.
 23. The method of claim 22,wherein applying the composition comprises allowing gravity to spreadthe composition substantially evenly across the surface while applyingthe composition to the surface.
 24. The method of claim 16, whereinapplying the composition comprises applying the composition to aflooring surface.
 25. The method of claim 24, wherein applying thecomposition to the flooring surface comprises applying the compositionto a flooring surface comprising concrete, terrazzo, or a ceramic.